Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari has revealed that his team’s shock
elimination to South Africa at the last Africa Cup of Nations has fueled
their run at the 2025 tournament.
In the 2023 AFCON Round of 16, Bafana Bafana stunned the Atlas Lions with
a 2–0 victory, a result that has lingered within the Moroccan squad. Now,
having advanced to the quarterfinals where they will face Cameroon,
Saibari acknowledged how that defeat has shaped their focus in Morocco.
“We have been preparing for this moment for two years, specifically since
our elimination against South Africa,” Saibari stated following the team’s
final training session. “Now it is time to show the fruits of the work we
have done, and prove that we are ready.”
The 24-year-old emphasized the unity and determination within the camp,
noting, “We laugh together but we know very well why we are here, and that
is the most important thing.”
Looking ahead to the clash with Cameroon, Saibari anticipates a fiercely
contested encounter. “It will be an intense match… The Cameroonian team is
a good team and they also have the desire to win, so it will be a
beautiful match.”
While South Africa’s 2025 campaign ended again in the Round of 16, Morocco
continues its quest for continental glory, driven by the memory of a
painful exit two years prior.
